The role of social networks on out-migration from the viewpoint of rural communities. Cases of the Parque Chaqueño Argentina.

NUSSBAUMER, B., LORENZL, G.

Poitiers - Francia

Conferencia; Migrinter - conference.; 2003

CNRS Migrinter Universidad de Poitiers.

This work is focused on the transformation of rural culture by means of out-migration and temporally migration particularly in the peasantry sector. The analysis of the role of social networks in the relationship between migration and cultural evolution enables to understand social processes, towards the maintenance of identities and even the incorporation of innovative elements. The research has been undertaken in six communities in the arid and semi-humid ecoregions of the Parque Chaqueño in Argentina. A combination of qualitative and quantitative research methods was selected. The used instruments of primary data collection were inquiries to peasant families and semi-structured interviews to different actors of the communities. Our results show that social networks play a double role in out-migration processes. On the one hand, the well known function by facilitating persons to migrate and on the other hand, by supporting the remaining families in their everyday lives. We found differences in the form and intensity of support remaining families among the communities, relaying on the type of production system and the dominating family type. Material and cultural flows between migrants and home societies has a particular importance in transformation process of the rural culture and the communal identity. Considering the economical crisis of Argentina, remittances loosed importance as a way of connectedness maintenance, but on the contrary home families try to support their migrant relatives in the cities. Visits and particularly during local festivities are frequently used as important events to strengthen the ties between migrants and remaining families. Concerning peasant families, heritage and rights, are important factors to maintain these ties. Finally, we found that the existence of social networks and the familiar ties, enable to migrants to return to their origin communities in the case of deterioration of the living conditions in their host places. We registered that around 30 % of the interviewed families had returned relatives in their homes.